inFAMOUS: Winter Solstice

Chapter 4

On Christmas morning, Cole woke to the toasty warmth of the heater running all night in our apartment. He tossed back the covers and in no particular hurry slipped on his Union Jack track pants and signature black and yellow athletic shirt.

Drawing back the curtains, he found a perfectly white Christmas in New Marais. Snow rested at least a foot and a half on the roads and front porches of homeowners. Already children had started to swarm the streets running and jumping in the white powder that was most likely their first experience with snow in their lives.

He wasted no time grabbing his courier jacket and heading to the roof access. There was just as much powder here than on the streets, and to see New Marais in such a seasonal blanket made him proud. The temperature was just cold enough to sustain the snow; in the high twenties. But no one willingly outside seemed to care since they were dressed in three layers of their usual winter attire. Anyone else was sheltering themselves inside their homes where it was warm.

Cole seemed absolutely transfixed when I went onto the roof. He didn't even hear the door open. I couldn't resist wadding together a snowball and chucking it at him, landing a hit on his shoulder and spreading powder all over his jacket.

"Merry Christmas, brother!"

"Merry Christmas, Zeke," he returned, hardly caring about being a target for snowballs. "Feels like home, doesn't it?"

I watched as a group of kids ducked behind parked cars to take cover from enemy snowballs while firing their own. "Nah. It's a hell of a lot more fun here. It is Party City after all."

Then I finally noticed exactly what he was wearing compared to myself—dressed in a thick coat and bomber cap. "Shit, man, you're not cold?"

"Nope," Cole charged his arms with electricity. "I'm insulated."

The two of us took in the scene one more time. Never had New Marais ever looked more peaceful.

Softly, he asked, "You think she'd be proud?"

I didn't have to ask who he was referring to. There was only one person he had ever cared about enough to worry what she thought about him.

"She always was proud of you, brother. And nothin' in the whole world would ever change that."

He seemed satisfied with this answer as he smiled peacefully and for a moment an appeared to have found peace.

"Hey, I'm gonna head for the church and check on Lilly," said Cole once he resolved his thoughts. "You sure you're okay with picking up Connor?"

"Absolutely," I nodded. "We don't want him walking halfway across town in the snow right out of the hospital, right?"

"Thanks, man. I appreciate it."

That was something that was going around a lot lately: Appreciation.

I guess it had only taken me a while to get used to it. A "thank you" had felt hollow coming from Cole for a while. Then since I saved him from Bertrand's cage his words had more weight to them, like he couldn't take me for granted anymore. After my royal screw up in Empire, I guess I didn't feel like I deserved it. But now it was starting to feel good again.

Then he turned and leaped off the building, landing on the snow-covered sidewalk without even flinching. Admittedly, it made me jealous. Going up and down stairs never sucked so much in my life.

After going down those god-forsaken steps I climbed into the truck I had previously "appropriated" from the militia and painted over to hide their emblem, turned the key and drove through the slush to the hospital.